


Them in love

by Yougaythen



Category: Ballum, EastEnders
Genre: Each chapter is unrelated so you can read any at any point, This is going to be a lot of cuddles and soft fluff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-02
Updated: 2021-02-02
Packaged: 2021-03-14 07:54:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,368
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29042706
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yougaythen/pseuds/Yougaythen
Summary: Based on the fox doodles ‘foxes in love’. Each chapter a different prompt inspired by one of the doodles.
Relationships: Ballum - Relationship, Callum "Halfway" Highway/Ben Mitchell
Comments: 2
Kudos: 14





	Them in love

**Author's Note:**

> Based on the doodle posted (2/2/21)

The moment he awoke in the middle of the night he knew that the day ahead was going to be the longest ever, the words of Phil rattling around in his head and the thought that if he was to be caught he’d be put away for, “Ben” breaks him out of his thoughts, the fact he hadn’t even realised that he had managed to push himself up in the bed, trapping Callums arm behind him. Yet he just sits quietly in the hope that Callum will drift back off to sleep so that he doesn’t have to tell him what’s wrong. And it works, it’s only a few minutes that he’s stretching around and then back to sleep he falls and yet something in him that makes Ben feel worse in that moment, just him and his racing thoughts. 

He decided sitting up wasn’t going to ever get him back to sleep, the pink walls around him were suffocating, escaping to the kitchen he pulls down a cup, popping on the kettle and filling up his cup with tea, and placing himself down on the sofa, and laying down slightly in the hope that the change of room would still his thoughts that raced more and more with each moment. 

Eventually he drifted in and out of sleep, the regrets of ever agreeing to anything his dad set out becoming too much, yet he knew that he couldn’t back out of this now so he just had to accept and deal with it. 

The moment his eyes catch the darkness starting to lift outside through the open curtains he decides that’s enough sleep for now, the fact that he is up to make breakfast for a change he pulls out everything he needs, shoving bread into the toaster and eggs into the saucepan, the offer of juice or coffee to kick start the day off for Callum, them both working until mid afternoon it worked perfectly, not that Ben did much more than sitting around in the car lot offices doodling on paper. 

It’s when the toast pops he realises he can hear Callums slight movements the other side of the wall, the gentle tap of the headboard against the wall and Ben knows this is him stretching out, then the creak of the floorboards hits “hey I was bringing you breakfast in bed” he comments placing a kiss to Callums forehead “where did you go” he says with a yawn gesturing to Ben’s side of the bed “couldn’t sleep” he forces out a smile before turning back to the kitchen to gather up all the breakfast things, Callum meeting him at the little table where they had had many dates together. “Thank you” he gives Ben that big smile he reserves just for him before dipping his head slightly, “want to talk about it” Callum questions him as he places down opposite him, the barely there plate of toast, he immediately knows something is bothering him, it’s the way his face sits low and the lack of breakfast. He shakes his head in response and moves on. He knows if he starts to talk he will be in too deep and that can’t happen, not now and not here.

They end up getting ready for the day in silence, the air thick and Ben’s sure an argument is looming over them yet he doesn’t dare to say anything, so he keeps quiet what Callum doesn’t know means he can’t react.  
And then they head off for work, a quick kiss exchanged outside the doors and then off they go in their own directions, yet it takes everything in Ben not to run after him, tell him everything about how he’s actually feeling. 

—

By the time Ben gets home Callum is already sat on the sofa, Ben’s lunch sat on the side waiting for him “mum dropped these by earlier” he waves a bag of Callum’s favourite cakes and pastries in, he shoots Ben a smile, “I’m sorry” he tests “I didn’t mean to ignore you this morning, just a lot on my mind” he places down on the sofa next to him, immediately snuggling into his chest, “it’s okay, you can talk to me though” Callum assures “about anything” he brings a hand to Ben’s hair ruffling it slightly until it’s messy and starting to curl on the back. “Tired” he asks, he can’t see Ben’s face but he knows if he could then it would be laced with sleep.

He shifts so Ben sits up and then places a leg behind him on the back part of the sofa, patting his chest for Ben to lay his head down, so he does, he lays between Callums legs, his own falling against the arm of the sofa and they know it’s not the most comfortable or the best place considering their bedroom is only a few paces away. 

“Sleep if you are tired, I’m not gonna go anywhere” he laces his hand inside Ben’s, there doesn’t need to be a response because he’s already gone to sleep in his arms, lunch abandoned on the coffee table in the middle of the room, he runs his thumb over the back of his hand, the softness of the skin hitting him so much and he wants to stay in this moment forever. 

It can’t be more than twenty minutes that they are led like this, yet Callum feels immediately bored, he stretched out his arm just enough to secure the tv remote, switching it on and being met with some sort of kids tv that Lexi had been watching the previous day. He hums lightly to himself before changing the channel over to something a little more fitting, he knows if Ben was awake he’d be complaining about it so he takes the opportunity to watch the episode. 

“You have no idea how much I want to move right now” he whispers, he’s not sure who he’s looking for a response from but he realises if this is to happen again he needs to go to the bathroom first and actually find things to occupy himself because a sleeping Ben isn’t overly much company and his dead phone has long been abandoned next to him, the hope that no one needs him in a hurry because he can’t physically wake Ben just to put his phone on charge so he starts to draw little shapes on the side of his arm to his back, the most gentle touch over fear of waking him up and yet he just wanted to keep his hands busy while the tv played some show that he wasn’t even sure he wanted to watch, he’d turned the volume down as soon as his had finished. 

It’s at that point Ben starts to shift, bringing his arms up to hold at Callum in the best way he could, Callum placing a kiss to his hair “you are so lucky I love you” he breathes through the kiss, reaching over to the back of the sofa to grab at a blanket, one they kept for whenever lexi fell asleep on the sofa, yet Callum could feel the chill starting to take hold of his body, throwing it over both of them and tucking it in Callum hoped to secure some of that much needed body heat where he secured his own hands around Ben. 

He doesn’t even remember dozing off himself, the nighttime sky painting itself across the skyline, through the buildings as he rubs at his eyes, the man above him still fully asleep, his mouth dropped open slightly and his hair flopped down over his face slightly, he pulls it back from his face slightly and he could picture this moment forever, the man he loved more than anything here asleep on him to the sound of his heartbeat. His legs long gone dead and yet actually there’s no place he’d rather be than snuggling up like this, the way he knows Ben will hate himself when he wakes up but clearly in this moment he needs this rest and for his mind to still even if it’s just for a few hours.

**Author's Note:**

> I have no idea how often I’ll update this but hopefully regularly!!
> 
> As always kudos are appreciated!


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